Disney and F1 Extend Partnership Through 2028 and Add Special 'Cars' to the Grid

Disney and Formula 1 have not only added another season onto their existing and ever-expanding partnership... they have brought a Piston Cup Champion with them.

Disney and Pixar's Cars Collection with Formula 1 | Courtesy of Disney

It's no secret that one of Formula 1's most visible partnerships this season has been with Disney. Up until this point, it has been Mickey and friends – Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, and co.– who have represented the classic Disney branding around the world.

Now, Disney has not only announced an extension through 2028 after an action-packed year of their partnership. They have announced the moment that racing fans have all been waiting for since the initial announcement. Pixar's Cars is joining the partnership.

Cars is the first 'outside property' (technically under the Pixar brand) to join the Formula 1 partnership, and opens doors for further expansion into other character universes within Disney. Its addition marks yet another chapter in an action-packed year for the partnership that has already touched Shanghai, Montreal, and Silverstone since January – even expanding into F1 Academy.

Ollie Bearman and Estebon Ocon with Mickey Mouse | Courtesy of Disney

What started as a single Las Vegas activation has quickly turned into one of Disney's most ambitious partnership plays in its history, and with Cars' debut at the Gran Premio d'Italia at Monza, it is only bound to expand further into the Formula 1 world.

Building the Brand

The original Disney and Formula 1 collaboration was announced just over two years ago, with its debut less than a year ago at the Las Vegas Grand Prix with a Fountains of Bellagio performance and merchandise drop. Needless to say, expansions every ~3 months are a blistering cadence for the two teams, but it works well for the audience.

Formula 1 fans are marketed to by brand after brand – not just at races but online. Disney has taken the idea of global brand saturation and diversified their own activation portfolio to mirror every touchpoint fans will actually resonate with.

Australia and Shangai brought the WEBTOON comic series, Fan Zone pop-ups, and several merchandise collaborations of various price points. Montreal pushed the collaboration into F1 Academy, putting Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck front and center in an effort to align with the series bringing more women into motorsport.

Disney and Formula 1 Make-A-Wish, Charles Signing Helmet | Courtesy of Disney

Most recently, Silverstone brought the highest point of the year so far for Disney: A custom Mickey Mouse racing helmet, signed by 20 F1 drivers, was auctioned off for Make-A-Wish and sold for a record-shattering £151,000. Fans can support this initiative as well by entering a Prizeo sweepstakes for a replica version, with proceeds going to Make-A-Wish America.

Finally, we have Cars and Lightning McQueen's special track moment at Monza and merchandise collection. Taken together, the story is writing itself. The partnership keeps finding new culturally relevant entry points to resonate with fans around the world... rather than repeating the same playbook in every country.

Lightning McQueen is Headed to Monza

Bringing Cars into Formula 1 was nothing short of inevitable. Cars is a racing story built around the sport itself. After all, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and more have made voice-acting cameos in the Cars movies!

Disney and Pixar's Cars Collection with Formula 1 - Monza | Courtesy of Disney

Mickey Mouse and 'friends' work well as mascots for the Disney brand and serve their purpose at the core of developing the partnership up until this point – introducing Disney to the Formula 1 'scene'. That said, the timing of adding the Cars property to the mix is extremely deliberate.

2026 marks the 20th anniversary of Pixar's Cars and Lightning McQueen on our television screens. He is making his Formula 1 debut with a fresh new look on the ground at the F1 Gran Premio d'Italia at Monza... one of the sport's most historic race weekends.

Additionally, the Cars collection will debut at the D23 Disney Store booth in Anaheim, CA, including six items sold exclusively through the Disney Store and die-casts with Mattel. The line will go live on August 14th, with a broader rollout on August 27th, bringing the collection to F1 in time for Monza.

Adding Cars gives Disney a racing brand to lean on and another way for Formula 1 to connect with fans who grew up on the iconic red race car in Radiator Springs. Although the saying goes, 'ask a child to draw a car, and certainly he will draw it red'... for so many, that red car isn't a Ferrari. It's Lightning McQueen.

The Monza celebration of this partnership will kick off on Lightning McQueen Day (9/5), and as Lightning himself would say, "Kachow," for now.